Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) Sets New 12-Month Low – Here’s Why

Deluxe Co. (NYSE:DLX) shares hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $15.07 and last traded at $15.20, with a volume of 316519 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $16.25.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DLX has been the subject of several research analyst reports. StockNews.com lowered Deluxe from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. Sidoti upgraded Deluxe to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th.

Deluxe Price Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average of $17.69 and a 200 day moving average of $20.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. The firm has a market capitalization of $667.62 million, a P/E ratio of 12.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.46.

Deluxe (NYSE:DLX) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.80 by ($0.05). Deluxe had a net margin of 2.49% and a return on equity of 21.33%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Deluxe Co. will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Deluxe Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 18th were paid a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.04%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 18th. Deluxe’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 101.69%.

Insider Activity at Deluxe

In related news, CEO Barry C. Mccarthy acquired 3,926 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $16.45 per share, for a total transaction of $64,582.70. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 272,851 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,488,398.95. The trade was a 1.46 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 5.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Deluxe

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Jane Street Group LLC grew its position in Deluxe by 10.0% in the 3rd quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 115,280 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,247,000 after purchasing an additional 10,447 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of Deluxe by 73.2% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 148,447 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $2,893,000 after buying an additional 62,715 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Deluxe by 1.7% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,028,079 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $20,041,000 after acquiring an additional 17,583 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its position in shares of Deluxe by 57.2% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 3,206 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 1,166 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wedge Capital Management L L P NC bought a new stake in Deluxe during the fourth quarter worth $1,017,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.90% of the company’s stock.

Deluxe Company Profile

Deluxe Corporation provides technology-enabled solutions to enterprises, small businesses, and financial institutions in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It operates through Merchant Services, B2B Payments, Data Solutions, and Print segments. The Merchant Services offers credit and debit card authorization and payment systems, as well as processing services primarily to small and medium-sized retail and service businesses.